Almost every part of the Moringa tree is edible.
The Morunga trees are very common in India and in South-east Asia. In Thailand, they are even used as garden fences. The two most commonly used parts of the Moringa tree are the leaves and the young pods. Locals eat the leaves in a variety of ways both as raw vegetable and as cooked dishes and soup. That is why it is also called the Vegetable Tree. The leaves are very nutritious; contain all the essential amino acids and are rich in protein, beta-carotene, iron, calcium, potassium and vitamins A, B and C. The leaves are also dried and crushed into powder and used in soups and sauces.
The pods are as nutritious as the leaves. The young pods are usually cut into smaller pieces and cooked in a variety of soups and curries. They can even be eaten raw like the leaves as salads. The seeds from the matured pods can be cooked like peas or are roasted as nuts. These seeds are also used for treatment of erectile dysfunction and are said to be able to prolong sexual activities. Aha!!
The pods contain as much as 40% of edible oil known as Ben oil. The name Ben oil is derived from the high concentration of behenic acid. The refined oil is clear and odorless but pleasant in taste. Ben oil is characterized by its unusually long shelf life. There are many uses of Ben oil apart from cooking. It is used as a perfume base as well as for fuel.
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